About

I am often asked, why the name Eat Like a Girl? The answer is simple. Why should eating like a girl be a bad thing? Don’t we eat too? Real food, delicious food, food that is packed with flavour?

We do. And that is what I share here. Recipes for food that you will want to cook at home and that will cheer your lunch box and your evenings. Trustworthy restaurant recommendations to help you plan your social outings. Travel stories and recommendations for where you should eat, where you should stay and what you should bring home when you travel.

This is my space, and I share it with you, happily. Welcome! Make yourself at home. Shall I put the kettle on?

WHO AM I?

My name is Niamh. Now, don’t panic, it is just a name (an Irish one at that), and you pronounce it Knee-uv. I am an Irish ex-pat, based vaguely in London (well, I pay rent there at least), and I travel for much of my time. I love to meet people when I travel, learn their recipes, eat in their restaurants and wander their streets. I am a wanderer, and when I am not wandering, I can be found in my kitchen or in a restaurant, possibly a wine bar too. Ok, often a wine bar, and I love a bit of karaoke action too.

RECIPES

Most of the recipes are my own, some are shown to me on my travels (if this is the case I say so), occasionally some are from books that I find particularly engaging. If you try them I would love to hear how it goes. I love to hear from readers.

Comments are always welcome and appreciated. It’s lovely to hear from you, I know you’re out there but I have no idea who are! It makes it all very real and lovely when you announce yourself.

CLASSES & TOURS

I teach cooking classes, run Sunday Bacon Club and also give occasional food tours (in London primarily). At the moment these are on an ad hoc / commission basis. If you would like me to teach a class for you, bring you on a food tour, drop me a line on hello at eatlikeagirl dot com. I can do groups of up to 8 on a tour and the classes are flexible if you want a private one – whether in your home, or in a cookery school for larger numbers with the support of staff that I hire to support me. Please get in touch for details / prices. I know London, and I can show you it in all of its delicious glory, and I can also show you how to cook it.

I have written a cookbook (with a stonking 157 recipes in it), which was published in 2011 by Quadrille. It is called Comfort & Spice, and is available in some bookshops and on Amazon. It is only available as a physical book at the moment. People said “the writing is inspired… the food is double inspired… here is a book that has been lived in: it’s funny, smart and real, just like the grub it lovingly describes.” (John & Sally McKenna’s Guides, 2011)

I am working on my second book, Project: BACON, all about bacon sweet / savoury / home curing / drinks. It will be out in late summer 2014

Niamh Shields is a food writer, and one of the UK’s best known food bloggers. Her blog eatlikeagirl.com is a foodie’s delight, featuring original recipes inspired by her travels and some of her favourites from cook books, with plenty of gratuitous “food porn” photos. Follow Niamh if you’re an aspiring chef, love to cook, or are just a big fan of food (that’ll be us, then).

One of two blogs that were highly commended in the Observer Food Monthly Awards in October 2010.

An overdue mention of Niamh Shields Eat Like a Girl – not that she really needs one: she’s one of the UK’s best known food bloggers and was recently listed by the Times among their 40 bloggers who really count. I’m not sure how she finds time to work as she’s always popping off to have lunch for her new Posh Lunch Club feature, or going to tastings or writing up recipes or running a market stall or masterminding last year’s famous Blaggers’ Banquet but she’s a great girl.

Primarily a cookery blog – if you’re after a recipe for slow-roast wild boar belly, look no further – but lately London-based Shields, who describes the blog as a “monument to pleasure and weight gain”, has been doing a lot of eating out. Recently, she organised a female-only carnivores’ night at Hawksmoor in Spitalfields (“Girl’s Just Wanna Have Steak!”).

Niamh Shields, an Irish ex-pat in London, writes witty and personal recipes for everything from chorizo burgers to Israeli couscous with onion squash, haricot beans and pumpkin seeds. Even her photos of each dish are enough to make the mouth water.

Inspiring recipes from London-based Irish blogger Niamh. There are a few restaurant reviews, but we come for the home cooking – the majority of the recipes are Niamh’s own. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out the post on Israeli couscous with onion squash, haricot beans and pumpkin seeds.

Log on because we’re not the only ones who rate it – ELAG was voted as one of the best food blogs in the world by the Times Online site.

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72 Comments

I discovered your food blog through the Observer’s article on Indian food and I just wanted to say that it’s one of the most lip-smacking I’ve seen. I really like your use of courgettes, broad beans (my favourite) and the salmon fish cakes were great. I have a sort-of-foodie blog which used to bang on about restaurants in Budapest (I used to be a resto critic there) but now seems very occupied with graffiti in Bruxelles where I now live (a very food-obsessed city). Cheers L.

I am SO excited that I found your blog! Glad I’m not the only one who plans her days (often entire trips abroad) around when/where/what to eat :o)
I wanted to mention that I also went through a nasty lactose intolerance stage which was in danger of upsetting my lifelong love affair with cheese – milky things, including those ‘good bacteria’ drinks were giving me horrible stomach cramps. I started taking live bacteria capsules, the ones that are kept refridgerated, and they have sorted my stomach out. I’ve been reintroducing milk in cereal and drinking some lattes and so far so good! Might be worth trying…?

I love your photos! Found you through the Guardian…Good luck with finding a new camera, though I only ever use my phone to take my photos. It’s fast and reliable, particularly in restaurants when your friends are impatiently waiting to tuck in!… Helen Yuet Ling

What a fun blog! Nice, nice job. I’m writing from Colorado, but my daughter used to live in Camden Town, so I’ve spent time in London. I love it. I’m lactose intolerant too (among other things), so — here’s to coconut milk in your coffee! Yum! Glad I ran across your blog.
Melissa

Hi there, your blog was reccommended to me by a girl from Fungarvan that i work with as she knows i am total foodie .. and i am loving it !!

A question for you .. i am in london on business overnight next week and would like to go somewhere nice for dinner .. not too pricey but something different to Dublin basically. We are staying on High Street Ken so anywhere within that general area ?? any suggestions ??

Hello there! Thank you for adding me to your flickr friends:) I came to check your blog. It’s interesting and yummy! Going to subscribe right away not to miss anything:) Cheers from my kitchen to yours:) Farida

Hello, I found your blog on the Times website where it was listed as one of the best food blogs. I must say that I’m very impressed and I enjoy reading your blog!
I’m a student and I love cooking and food – I save up to buy good ingredients and eat at new places! I live in London so it’s pretty easy to try a new restaurant every few weeks and of course I have my favourite haunts.

I like the sound of your recipes and I’ll come back quite regularly!
Thanks for the blog :)
Heewon

Hello Niamh-
My husband and I came to London Dec 4 and we went straight to your Market Stall to have the roast pork sandwich and LOVED it! It was lovely meeting you after following you on your blog. Best of luck to you and look forward to more posts!
Fondly-
Julie

Hi Niamh,
Congrats on being picked up for Time’s 40 bloggers who really count! Your message on the top of this page shows how passionate you’re about cooking and blogging about it! So you deserve even lot more recognition. Wish you good luck and keep rocking…..sorry blogging about cooking :-)

Last but not the least I wish I could blog like “eat like a girl” and guess a lot more out there in blogging world do it too!!

I am SO excited that I found your blog! Glad I’m not the only one who plans her days (often entire trips abroad) around when/where/what to eat :o)I wanted to mention that I also went through a nasty lactose intolerance stage which was in danger of upsetting my lifelong love affair with cheese – milky things, including those ‘good bacteria’ drinks were giving me horrible stomach cramps. I started taking live bacteria capsules, the ones that are kept refridgerated, and they have sorted my stomach out. I’ve been reintroducing milk in cereal and drinking some lattes and so far so good! Might be worth trying…?
+1

I am from Brazil and read about your blog in one of the local cooking magazines.
I love coming in to your blog, reading and looking at your fantastic pictures.
I identify myself a lot with you, since I am a food freak.. Thinking all the time at food, cooking, eating…
And in a constant worry about my weight.

Great site and probably one of the best food bloggers around. Amazing, honest, down-to-earth, sincere and prolific are words that spring to mind when I hear “Eat Like a Girl” mentioned.http://www.robertgiorgione.com
Keep up the good work! It’s a real pleasure to know you.

Hi – Just discovered your blog and twitter. WOW! You’ve been blogging for aaaages. Well done! I especially like the title of your book. Would be what I would have chosen. Can’t wait til it arrives in the post!

Hey there,
I am a fellow foodie. I have been blogging for about 4 years now. I am a chef in Phialdelphia, recently divorced, with no desire to go back and work in a restaurant, but in need of a living. So I have embarked on a new project, the first step being a food and cooking blog. I posted today. Please check it out…www.hamonwry1.com. I love your work. Your passion comes through in your words! I hope to be able to achieve what you have! Well done!
Please have a look. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Jenni in Philly

Hi Niamh
I am so envious of your life! I read about you on the Observer website last year and your story really inspired me, particularly because it said you used to be a project manager. That is me right now, actually about to be made redundant, but what I would really like is to cook, travel and write (as I’m sure many folks do). I have recently started a blog, and am trying to find more time to cook and learn new things – baby steps you know! If I could have a tenth of the success with mine as you have had with Eat Like A Girl, I’ll be happy :-)
Thanks! Hayley
Brixton

Niamh, have so many cook books and yours is my absolute fave. Cooked the overnight lamb and it was amazing. Also tried your blas at the weekend – not quite as good as I remember from visiting my grandparents in Waterford as a kid but blame my proofing without a hotpress. Definitely have to try again. Soda bread was a hit though :)

Dear Niamh,
I have nominated you/your lovely/shining blog, for the Sunshine Award!
I love your book, I got it as a present from someone I loved madly and I ended up loving your book too.
Please pick up your badge and information/rules on how to pass the torch and pay it forward at: http://turningkitchentables.com/2012/12/14/sunshine-award/
Love your blog!
tkt